My Dog-Eared Pages

PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE | GRAVY

2009-11-10T12:13:00.075-05:00

Sauce Boats from the wonderful online shop Paris Hotel Boutique

Every Thanksgiving, I have several chats with friends and siblings about gravy. After all, gravy is the secret pièce de résistance of Thanksgiving. Of course, the turkey is the crown jewel but it's the gravy that makes way for great storytelling and Thanksgiving memories. We've reminisced about how much we loved Craig Claiborne's East Hampton Thanksgiving Gravy that took twenty hours to make. Or the time I met a fancy produce truck delivering to The Four Season's in Boston, to buy their last 1/4 lb. of fresh porcini mushrooms, for that year's fancy and expensive gravy. We've had great luck with Chuck Williams' recipes—sometimes the simpler the better. This year, I pay tribute to the final issue of beloved Gourmet. The magazine has played its celebratory part in our Thanksgivings over the years. My pick for gravy including turkey {of course} is Cider-Glazed Turkey—cider turkey rules for this Thanksgiving:

Turkey Giblet Stock
Makes about 4 cups
Active Time: 10 min., Start to Finish: 1 HR

Browning the neck and giblets, as well as the vegetables, produces a wonderfully rich stock, and subsequently, a much more flavorful gravy.

Tbsp vegetable oil
Neck and giblets (excluding the liver) from a 12-to-14 lb. turkey
1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 onion (not peeled), quartered
1 3/4 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 cups water
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp dried thyme, crumbled

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cut neck into 1-inch pieces. Brown neck, giblets, celery, carrot, and onion, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add chicken stock, scraping up brown bits.
Transfer mixture to a 3-qt saucepan. Add water, bay leaf, peppercorns, and thyme and simmer, uncovered until liquid is reduced to about 4 cups, 40 to 45 minutes. Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl (discard solids). Skim off and discard any fat.
Cook's Note: Stock can be made 3 days ahead and chilled (covered once cool).

Cider-Glazed Turkey
Gourmet | by Ian Knauer

yield: Makes 8 servings
active time: 35 min
total time: 4 hr

A roast turkey glazed with a buttery cider syrup is burnished outside and juicy within. You'll have more than enough gravy to ladle over the stuffing, the smashed potatoes, and tomorrow's leftovers.

Ingredients

For turkey:

1 (12-to 14-pounds) turkey at room temperature 1 hour, neck and giblets (excluding liver) reserved for turkey stock
1 apple, cut into chunks
1 small onion, quartered
1 small bunch thyme
1 cup water

For cider glaze:

1 cup unfiltered apple cider
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

For gravy:

2 cups dry white wine
Melted unsalted butter if necessary
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
About 4 cups hot turkey giblet stock {made previously}

Equipment: a 17- by 14-inch flameproof roasting pan with a flat rack; kitchen String; a 2-quart measuring cup or a fat separator

Shopping List For This Recipe here.

Preparation

Prepare turkey:
Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in lower third.

Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Put turkey on rack in roasting pan and season inside and out with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Put apple, onion, and thyme in large cavity. Fold neck skin under body, then tuck wing tips under breast and tie drumsticks together with string.

Roast turkey and Make cider glaze:
Add water to pan and roast, without basting, 1 hour.

Meanwhile, boil cider and sugar in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until emulsified. Let glaze stand until ready to use.

After turkey has roasted 1 hour, rotate pan 180 degrees. Roast, without basting, 40 minutes more.

Glaze turkey:
Brush turkey all over with all of glaze and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of each thigh (test both; do not touch bone) registers 165 to 170°F, 5 to 15 minutes more (total roasting time: 1 3/4 to 2 hours).

Carefully tilt turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into pan. Transfer turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into pan. Transfer turkey to a platter (reserve juices in roasting pan) and let rest, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 170 to 175&Deg;F). Discard string.

Make gravy while turkey rests:
Strain pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into 2-quart measure and skim off fat (or use a fat separator), reserving fat.

Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add wine and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes. Strain through sieve into measuring cup containing pan juices.

Put 1/2 cup reserved fat (if there is less, add melted butter) in a 4-quart heavy saucepan and whisk in flour.

Cook roux over medium heat, whisking, 3 minutes. Add pan juices and stock in a fast stream, whisking constantly, then bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Briskly simmer, whisking occasionally, until gravy is thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve turkey with gravy.

What to drink
Josmeyer Les Folastries
Gewürztraminer '05

Note: Recipe courtesy of Gourmet magazine, November 2009, A Rural Pennsylvania Thanksgiving.

Another gem from Paris Hotel Boutique

IN MEMORY OF MY FRIEND ANDRÉ

2009-11-08T07:18:00.012-05:00

I was introduced to my friend André in 1986 by a mutual friend who thought we would "hit it off." And, that we did. André was born seventeen years ahead of me and as a result had a worldly wisdom that he bestowed upon me. He was an elegant character with undeniable intelligence and eccentricities, and I adored him. Nine years ago today, in a monsoon of rain, we celebrated André in a memorial service. As you will learn from his former Taft classmate Peter Kilborn in the story below, I inherited André's writings, and I am committed and determined to see that his work gets published.

"Finally the day died altogether, and on the horizon the brightest stars seemed to stand on pins, which proved to be Nice. The Cap Ferrat beacon kept up its one long, two short blinks of reassurance. With the day gone, Freddy fondly recalled his walk on the Cap as if it were already months and thousands of miles away, and as if it needed to be relived right now to fill an empty spot inside him. Freddy was lonely.

He felt at times like this, that his newly adopted world was really an empty balloon and not a definite structure. The balloon was going to be filled, but filling it would take him the rest of his life; he could not tell by its present shape what it would become, or even its eventual color and, as inchoate as it was, he was not sure that this mystifying balloon did not have a built-in slow leak.”

--Hotel Olive Trees, a novel by André de Riano

André de Riano was the autobiographical Frederic Ives and the Franco-American from New York we knew as Tom Ryan. Scourged by cancer, he died at 61 of a stroke or heart attack in his brownstone apartment on stately Marlborough Street in Boston’s Back Bay. He was found when his good friend Barbara had the landlord break open the door.

André left a knee-high stack of manuscripts--five novels and numerous short stories. None had ever been offered to publishers. In Hotel Olive Trees, he writes of 19-year-old Freddy, a hard-drinking, aspiring playboy and beneficiary of a bottomless trust fund. Freddy was a graduate of “St. Jonathon’s,” a boys’ boarding school in New England. He had been admitted to Harvard, but “eager to rid himself of the burden of his virginity,” he set off for Paris and the bare-breasted beaches of the Côte d’Azur.

At Taft, André formed the Current Events Club and wrote about world affairs for the Papyrus. He won the French prize and was accepted at the University of Virginia. Classmate Gil Allen, who expected to see him there, says he never showed up.

Instead André chose Paris and briefly attended the Sorbonne. From there, he roamed the sybaritic haunts of southern Europe, settling for a while in Salvador Dali’s town of Cadaqués on the Costa Brava of Spain. Back in the States, he tried New York, Hawaii and New York again. By his mid-forties, he had moved on to Boston and all these years, he labored at his novels, his “doorstoppers” he called them.

André’s apartment, strewn with paper and books and thick with the odor of cigarettes, was unnavigable, so he never entertained at home. On my trips to Boston, we would meet at the Ritz, and he would lead me off to the city’s best restaurants. Every time, he wore a blue Taft School blazer. Taft was the taproot of his youth, and perhaps he never outgrew it.

André left the manuscripts and his Taft blazer to Barbara. Barbara organized his funeral at the Church of the Advent on Beacon Hill. After the service, the mourners gathered at the Ritz, André’s afternoon haunt.

--Peter Kilborn

I found this adorable girl {Priskilla} from Antwerp, Belgium singing a little bit of the Weepies song, World Spins Madly On. This is for André with love from my heart that
never forgets. oxo, Barbara

BEAUTY NOTES | INDU LOTION

2009-11-04T18:38:00.035-05:00

Image of Carina at home in RI, courtesy of Domino archives

Carina Schott, the founder of the delightful online store nonchalantmom.com, discovered Indu Lotion at her local yoga class. I found it through Carina's store and use it when I am juice-fasting. Indu Lotion {Sanskrit> nectar of the moon} is created by Jivamukti Yoga Teacher, Marni Task. It's a lovely combination of bergamot, lavender and geranium. The scent is heavenly and the healing effects of this hydrating aromatherapy lotion are up-to-the-moon and back. Geranium balances emotions and relieves weariness and stress. Lavender helps to promote clear thinking, calms and soothes the skin, and is great for circulation. Bergamot, the essential oil used in creating my daily favorite Earl Grey Tea, is uplifting for emotions and supports vitality. Added bonus: Marni mixes the lotion with one essential mantra "om namah shivaya" which means "the thought that liberates and protects." For a list of ingredients and to purchase.

A few other great picks from nonchalantmom.com

Elephant onesie, Sweetheart Pillow, PomPom Necklace, Navy Wave Tote

FAUX FUR VESTS | P.S. I MADE THIS

2009-11-03T16:56:00.013-05:00

My sister-in-law Agi and I were chatting this morning about our love of faux fur vests, when I came across Erica Domesek's site, P.S. - I made this. I love her motto: I see it. I like it. I make it. When I asked Erica about her favorite source for faux fur, her answer..."The world's biggest baddest and best spot is MOOD Fabrics in NYC." {thank you MOOD!}. Here are Erica's instructions for making the vest shown above. I'm a new fan! Love her!

Fur-get about authentic pelts! Fakes are Faux-real! Everyone should have a furry luxe vest in their wardrobe, no ifs ands or buts about it. With a trip to your local fabric store and your trusty scissors, you will have chic traffic-stopping outerwear in minutes!

Get approx 1-2 yards of faux fur fabric, lay out on a flat surface. Cut a large circle. Measure the width of your shoulders and make two narrow openings in the center.

Brooch it! Belt it! Bear it!

Thanks Erica!

FASHION TRENDS | ART OF THE HAT

2009-11-01T17:38:00.035-05:00

Hats are back. And, one of the reasons why is the incredibly talented Albertus Swanepoel. Born and raised in South Africa, Swanepoel trained as a milliner under Janine Galimard, who worked for Balenciaga in Paris in the 1950's and 60's. After working as an assistant to Lola and then Lynne Mackey {creating hats for Broadway shows}, he briefly had a stint as a Style Editor at Martha Stewart Weddings. In 2004, Albertus began his brilliant collaborations with New York designers, including: Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler, Thakoon, Carolina Herrera, Peter Som, Diane Von Furstenberg, Jason Wu, and many others. His label {namesake Albertus Swanepoel} sells to top retailers like Barneys, Paul Smith, and Louis Boston. In 2009, he was nominated for a Swarovski CFDA Accessory Award.

I spent some time on 1stdibs today to see if I could find some vintage hats from the 60's that might inspire Albertus Swanepoel. I think I may have found a few!

1st Dibs ~ left to right: YSL Jockey hat, Patchwork Felt Mosaic hat, Tri-Color Jockey hat

COASTAL LOVE | NOVEMBER 1, 2009

2009-11-01T14:05:00.005-05:00

Almost every day, I take a bike ride and stop to check out the surf. Here is a little bit from today. Lately, our beach has suffered serious coastal erosion and we all keep our fingers crossed with every major storm. In March, President Obama signed a bill that contains funds for channel dredging—sand that will be used to bolster the beach where erosion has been the worst. We are grateful for the beauty of our Massachusetts coastline and we hope that mother nature slows down her efforts to reclaim her.

THE POWER OF THE RIGHT DENIM

2009-10-29T21:13:00.007-04:00

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

All politics aside, look how sexy the Sarkozys are in their jeans. Blue jeans can say a lot about you. So, just how do you get the power jeans right?

It involves a lot of "no's" says Christina Binkley of the Wall Street Journal... "No distressed jeans at work. No metal studs. No acid washes. No lavish embroidery. No boot cut. No skinny. No pedal pushers, shorts or cutoffs. No baggy high-rise. No super-low-rise. No holes. And no fussy ironing."

There!

UGGS | DIANA VREELAND

2009-10-28T09:46:00.028-04:00

I doubt that Diana Vreeland would have ever been caught dead in UGGs! I asked my best friend Mark to illustrate the thought above—DV as a blogger in UGGs. What do you think? Just the other day, my niece sent a text to my sister from Rome stating that, "UGGs are too American for Rome," and that she "needed a new pair of boots sent asap from Urban Outfitters." Smart girl with a smart angle to score a new pair of boots. But when she gets back to her snowy New England campus this winter, I'm sure she'll be happy with UGGs that she can quickly slip her bare feet into and dash-off to class.

I love this new style from UGG called the Smithfield. They are sort of UGG meets Hollister Hovey. Sporty, smart, perfect. You can get a pair here.

FOOD MEMORIES | LES HALLES 1960

2009-10-26T11:32:00.068-04:00

My friend Larry Miller has always thrown the best bashes with more divine food than almost anyone I know. At his rambling shingle-style house from days past I've met playwrights, composers, and movie critics. I've had perfect drinks and elegant but not fussy dinners. Last holiday season, I received a delightful package in my mailbox, "Food For Thoughts. Thoughts For Food." It's a charming collection of fifteen or so recipes with accompanying stories from Larry. He wrote, "These recipes are as accurate as I can make them. Mostly, I cook by eye so assigning precise measurements is a bit of wishful-thinking and a bit deviltry."

Larry's story for Recipe No. 2, Onion Soup:

In 1959 and 1960, when I lived in London, I had occasion to travel to Paris a few times. One of my fondest food memories derives from a 2 a.m. trip to the food markets at the old Les Halles with my friends, Pierre Balmain and Bill Frohlich. Of course, they knew all the great Parisian restaurants and fancy food places like Fauchon and Hediard... but, "Larry, you must have the onion soup at Les Halles." It was a trip I made every time I went to Paris, until the great iron and glass structure was torn down to make way for a shopping center in the early 1970s.

Au Pied Du Couchon illustration by artist, Dr. Shirley Levine, Onion Soup Au Gratin image,
courtesy gourmettraveller.com

A decade later, I discovered this wonderful recipe in a book published in 1907, "Gastronomie Pratique" by Ali-Bab {Henri Babinski}

Soupe à l'Oignon Gratinée
[serves 6]

1 - baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices [about 25 to 30]
9 - tablespoons butter, softened
9 - ounces Ementhaler cheese, finely grated
8 - medium yellow onions, thinly sliced [about 12 cups]
1 - tablespoon kosher salt, more to taste*
1 - cup tomato purée

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1. Spread a generous layer of butter on each slice [you will need about 5 tablespoons], then lay the slices close together on a baking sheet and top with all but 1/2 cup of cheese. Toast the baguette slices and let them cool.

2. In a large saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden, about 15 minutes.

3. In a 5-quart casserole, arrange a layer of bread slices [about 1/3 of them]. Spread 1/3 of the onions on top, followed by 1/3 of the tomato purée. Repeat for two more layers. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. To avoid boiling over, the casserole must not be more than 2/3 full.

4. In a saucepan, bring 1 + 1/2 quarts water* to a boil. Add the salt. Very slowly pour the salted water into the casserole, near the edge, so that the liquid rises just to the top layer of cheese without covering it. [Depending on the size of your casserole, you may need more or less water.]

5. Put the casserole on the stove and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, then transfer to the oven and bake uncovered for 1 hour. The soup is ready when the surface looks like a crusty, golden cake and inside is unctuous and so well blended that it is impossible to discern either cheese or onion. Each person is served some the the baked crust and some of the inside, which should be thick but not completely without liquid.

* You can replace the water with beef stock. If you do, you won't need as much salt.

So, as summer becomes a distant memory and the cold air quickly moves in, it's Larry's distant [but unforgettable] memory of Les Halles and onion soup that's my next inspiration. A perfect soup, made for good friends—served with a large salad of local greens and a simple, fresh Beaujolais.

PENDLETON AND OPENING CEREMONY

2009-10-25T09:51:00.008-04:00

Creativity should be celebrated in all its forms. Collaborations, too! Like this recent collaboration between the classic American brand, Pendleton and modern retailer Opening Ceremony. My favorite piece in the collection is this perfect little Bright Navajo print skirt in yummy turquoise. It has a grosgrain waistband, side zipper and front welt pockets. Cost: $176. If you hurry, you might find one {here} Frances May Boutique in Portland, Oregon.

UPLIFTING | CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN

2009-10-22T11:04:00.021-04:00

It's been a difficult week, so to cheer myself up... I'm posting a wonderful dog-eared page from a November 2002 House & Garden. In that issue, H&G gave us a glimpse into Christian Louboutin's Egyptian hideaway. I absolutely love everything about this photo of Louboutin en route to his hideaway on a Nile ferry. It's cheery and makes me want to go along for the ride—the blues, the boat, the hat, his yellow pants and smiling face... are all just perfect. I hope you like it, too!

[If by chance you know the photographer, please post in a comment!]

from Stockholm Street Style on YouTube

INSPIRATION | SHAPES & CUT-OUTS

2009-10-19T10:05:00.025-04:00

Cut-outs are back in style this year from fashion to art, and interiors. I still love this tin urn cut-out from a dog-eared page of Elle Décor magazine. Before we sold our 300 year-old house, I had intended to cut this urn shape and leave it on my husband's art studio floor so it could develop an organic, paint-spilled patina. But I never got around to it, and the look is not perfect for the condensed modern structure we live in now. The urn shape is simply its most beautiful in this cut-out form. And, also in this silkscreen print by artist, Wayne Pate {shown below}. As a nod to the cut-out trend, Taschen has released a wonderful Matisse two-volume set, that includes a perfect reproduction of his seminal cut-out work: Jazz, and another volume that provides a historical look at Matisse's Cut-outs.

click on image to buy this print from Wayne Pate

click on image to buy Matisse Jazz and Cut-outs

JEANLOUP SIEFF | PHOTOGRAPHY

2009-10-16T23:19:00.019-04:00

Thank you to the lovely English Muse for bringing this photo to my attention—an intense and sudden encounter with a slightly shadowy but captivating fellow. This photograph was taken by art and fashion photographer, Jeanloup Sieff in Palm Beach for Harper's Bazaar in 1964. Sieff's work was influenced by the French "new wave" filmmakers of the 1950s. He died in Paris on September 20, 2000 at the age of 66. His daughter, Sonia is also a known fashion photographer.

Sonia Sieff, 1985 and Catherine Deneuve, 1969

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT | KELLY WEARSTLER

2009-10-16T14:51:00.011-04:00

There is no designer working today who is more perfect to produce a book called "HUE" than Kelly Wearstler. She's daring, she's inspired by everything, and she creates interiors with such edge and Hollywood elegance. When Kelly studied in Boston quite a few years back, I would see her riding her bike around the Back Bay. A basic surfer-style bike in lime green, of course! This limited hand signed, and fabric wrapped edition of HUE is available from publisher AMMO Books for $85.00.

Clips with Kelly by Lee Jofa

GEORGE | FRIENDS WITH RATTAN

2009-10-13T23:06:00.027-04:00

I lost my 88 year-old godfather George {on right, in Rome 1962} in March—I first wrote about him here. For the past several months, I've been sorting through miscellaneous papers from a box in his closet and I am finding little things of note, like this picture of a couple in a simple farmhouse. Though I do not know who these friends might be {familiar... famous, perhaps?}, I love the picture. And, I particularly love the chair—I have a thing for rattan. I prefer pieces of rattan as organic touches in fabric-filled rooms. Here, the beautifully curved chair is the coziest place to sit! There is quite a vast assortment of good rattan pieces from dealers on 1st dibs, including Franco Albini ottomans {I love}, delicate 19th-century English bamboo and rattan tables, and a lot more.

PS... More tidbits from George's closet to come.

INSPIRATION | COLOR

2009-10-11T17:58:00.022-04:00

It was color that inspired me at the flea market today—especially turquoise and red. It's a memorable combination. So was the fuscia Dior dress with the striking Fred Leighton turquoise jewelry that Cameron Diaz wore to The Met's Costume Institute Gala in 2007. And, memorable is the color of this dressing room from my large file of dog-eared pages {House Beautiful 2001}. Picasso said, "Colors, like features... follow the changes of the emotions." What colors inspired you today?

Images: Cameron Diaz photo by Peter Kramer, House Beautiful 2001, and our flea market inspiration.

PRINT | CREATIVITY | EYES WIDE OPEN

2009-10-09T18:19:00.033-04:00

After a week of more sad magazine news, I've thought a lot about the extreme costs that large magazine publishers face, especially to produce lush icons like Vogue—where often sumptuous shoots do not make the cut/issue. But sophisticated art is expensive and that is just what we see in the pages of Vogue month after month. I left the movie September Issue with a renewed passion for excellence and admiration for both Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington for their brilliant {sometimes buck-heading} synergy. They are smart, sophisticated and have enduring talent. Their jobs are tough but they continue to push beyond like many artists of all genres to create excellence. In a scene from September Issue, while Grace Coddington rides in the back of a Paris limo, she quotes her old friend and mentor, photographer Norman Parkinson who told her... "Never shut your eyes or go to sleep in a car, train, anywhere. You might miss something inspiring." That scene stood-out in my mind because I'm definitely with Mr. Parkinson, and with all creatives who keep their eyes wide open. Without the people who truly see, we would not have traveled around the world of cuisine with Gourmet, have been mesmerized by the stunning photographs of Irving Penn or dreamt about the latest couture from the pages of Vogue.

Images: NPA {Norman Parkinson Archives}, Irving Penn's Salad Ingredients, Grace Coddington-style page from Vogue, Grace Coddington and Anna Wintour - www.screendaily.com

Norman Parkinson~A Very British Glamour
Release, October 2009

MUSIC | BRAHMS BY CITLALLI GUEVARA

2009-10-09T14:52:00.004-04:00

After a long and busy week, I'm winding down with a beautiful piano work by Brahms {Intermezzo op. 118. no. 2 in A major} played by lovely Mexican pianist Citlalli Guevara. Citlalli holds a Master in Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music, where she was student of Russian pianist Nina Svetlanova and a Bachelor in Arts Degree from the University of Veracruz where she was student of pianist Laura Sosa and Alejandro Corona. She also attended master classes from Oleg Maisenberg, Philippe Entremont, Jerome Lowenthal, Jean Philippe Collard, Robert Roux, Jorge Luis Prats, Pascal Rogé, Jorge Federico Osorio and Edith Picht Axenfeld.

Have a great weekend but first take a moment to pause and listen to Citlalli play.

INSPIRATION | IRVING PENN

2009-10-08T07:53:00.009-04:00

Irving Penn dies at age 92, New York {nytimes obit}.

The photography of Irving Penn has always had a great influence on me and I believe the book Passage is one of the most important books on my bookshelf. I will make sure that the next time I see my niece Fin {who is studying at Parsons} that we sit down and look at every amazing page together.

Shown above: Empty Plate, New York 1947 | Penn on shoot with New Guinea mud man and child | Pastry Chefs, Paris 1950 from Small Trades | Vogue Cover, 1943 Conde Nast archives | Woman in Moroccan Palace (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), Marrakech, 1951

images ©Irving Penn

FASHION | COZY CASHMERE

2009-10-06T22:37:00.011-04:00

As the sun drops quickly each evening and the days become shorter, a simple cashmere wrap is utterly cozy. And, a perfect classic in just the right colors {black • hemp heather • flannel heather} from White + Warren at Neiman Marcus .

FABRIC SPOTLIGHT | MALLY SKOK DESIGN

2009-10-05T08:17:00.011-04:00

Interior Designer Mally Skok launched her first fabric collection earlier this year. The India Collection is available through the Hinson showroom, and others. Mally's fabrics are hand-printed by local artisans in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Each fabric is also available in wallpaper, coordinating stripes and indoor/outdoor fabrics. Above are small cosmetic bags that Mally sells on her design firm's Etsy site {shown here on a ground of my favorite Mewar fabric in pink/orange}.

MAN SHOPS GLOBE | PREMIERES OCTOBER 7

2009-10-04T20:17:00.008-04:00

I can't wait to travel with Keith Johnson this Wednesday, as he seeks out the best for Anthropologie while shopping worldwide from the Saint-Ouen Flea Market in Paris, the Kapalicarsi Grand Bazaar in Istanbul to Piet Botha's Craft Shop in Cape Town! The Sundance Channel {October 7 @ 10pm}.

TRAVELS WITH MY NIECES

2009-10-03T11:09:00.007-04:00

One of my favorite roles in life is being an Aunt. Right now, three of my nieces are in the prime of their lives—Fin is living in her first apartment in trendy Brooklyn and studying at Parsons, Em is abroad this semester in a beautiful village in Ireland, and Suki is studying in Rome, and right this minute taking a swim off a boat in Capri [love texting!]. Here I am in Venice a while back. You might be able tell by my look which decade this is? When Fin saw this pic this summer, she said, "Auntie Boo, you're so fashionable!" And, just for a moment... I was in the prime of my life!

JOHN DERIAN | NEW YORK GIFT SHOW

2009-10-02T15:36:00.012-04:00

I've loved the work of John Derian ever since his early days at La Ruche [owned by Sister Parish's daughter Apple Parish Bartlett] in Boston. It was one of the best shops that ever graced Boston's Back Bay but unfortunately, its long gone. Even then, the pieces created by Derian were best. He had an eye but more importantly... something that was and still is, so uniquely his own. The image above is from John Derian at the New York Gift Show. I love this grouping of gulls and horseshoe crabs, and ships and shells . Take a peek at all 16 images here.

5 EASY PIECES | FALL GETAWAY

2009-10-02T10:15:00.004-04:00

For an early Fall getaway... just grab a canvas tote, some ballet flats, a cozy wrap, a chunky jewel or two, a novel belt, and these 5 easy pieces from James Perse.